Question? : I'm looking for information about "blind
culture" in the USA. "Deaf culture" is pretty strong and easy to identify -- there are deaf advocates, there's a movement against cochlear implants, and a general sense of a deaf political and cultural identity. Is there a similar movement among blind or visually-impaired people?
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There does seem to be a little information on blind culture.
I tried Lexis Academic, several magazine databases, Web of
Science (Science Citation Index and Soc Sci Citation
Indexes), and Worldcat, but most of the best leads seem to be
on the web - possibly Google Scholar, or maybe better even as
a search of regular Google limiting by site:edu :
----------------
Lexis Academic, General News, Major Papers, all dates:
Copyright 1992 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
May 9, 1992, SATURDAY, FIVE STAR Edition
SECTION: EVERYDAY MAGAZINE; Pg. 4D LENGTH: 828 words
HEADLINE: CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY BYLINE: Dianne B. Piastro
BODY:
GENE CHELBERG recalls that his first real ''Aha!'' experience
happened last year when he was a research assistant. The
project he was researching, ''Disability Perspectives,'' not
only helped him figure out what had been missing from his
life, it set in motion his pursuit of an exciting concept.
Now a senior at the University of Minnesota, Chelberg and a
small core of other disabled students have spearheaded
establishment of the first Disabled Student Cultural Center
in the United States and perhaps the world. That research
project queried focus groups of students who received
services from the school's Office for Students with
Disabilities. When they were asked about their experiences in
the disability community at the university, more often than
not they said, ''What disability community?'' Later, the same
students were asked what they would need to feel more
attached and have the university be a welcoming place. At
that point, people really liked the idea of getting together
with other disabled students to share experiences, avoid
feelings of isolation and develop some pride around their
experience of being disabled. The following summer, Chelberg,
who is blind, attended a retreat where participants came
together to explore and talk about blind culture: what is it,
do we have it, do we want it? He laughs when he talks about
the initial responses. Some people said, ''If we don't have
it, we'll never get it,'' while others said, ''I think we've
got it, we just don't know it.'' But after a session on
history, everyone said, ''Yeah, we have it,'' which
reinforced Chelberg's own growing sense that he and other
disabled students needed to establish and celebrate their own
cultural identity just as other minorities have done. When he
returned to the university in the fall, Chelberg talked with
a number of people about his idea to establish a cross-
disability center. He found that to be recognized as an
official campus organization, a rather tedious process was
involved. Chelberg and seven other students decided to go for
it. All that remains is final approval by the regents this
month, and the Disabled Student Cultural Center will be a
reality.
=====================================
Academic Search and Business Source Premier both get zero
hits for: blind culture
Ingenta: 14 hits for blind culture (searches: blind
culture) - none with the phrase.
=====================================
Worldcat (OCLC) gets 2 possible good sources out of 10 hits for the keyword search: blind w culture (The others are about bacterial research, tissue culture, gender-blind, etc.):
Deaf-blind culture
Author(s): Segal, Barry. ; Brooks, Gary.
Corp Author(s): Gallaudet University.; Dept. of Television,
Film, and Photography.
Publication: [Washington, D.C.] :; Gallaudet University,
Television Film & Photography Dept.,
Year: 1994
Description: 1 videocassette (ca. 30 min.) :; sd., col. ;;
1/2 in.
Language: English
Abstract: Barry Segal, who is deaf blind himself, explains
the various causes of vision disorders and deaf blind
culture.
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: Blind-deaf.
Culture -- Deaf blind.
Usher's syndrome -- Deaf blind.
Assistive devices -- Deaf blind.
Sensory aids -- Deaf blind.
Vision disorders -- Deaf blind.
System Info: VHS format.
Note(s): Open captioned and signed./ "This program was
directed and produced by students at Gallaudet University./
Participants: Host, writer Barry Segal.
Responsibility: produced and directed by Gary Brooks.
Executive producer, June Norman.
Material Type: Videorecording (vid); Videocassette (vca); VHS
tape (vhs)
Document Type: Visual Material
Entry: 19951206
Update: 20040321
Accession No: OCLC: 33859644
Database: WorldCat
-----------------------------------------
Deaf amd deaf-blind culture /
Author(s): Jacobowitz, Lynn. ; Duncan, Earlene.
Year: 1989
Description: [3] p. 28 cm.
Language: English
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: Blind-deaf.
Deaf blind.
Culture -- Deaf.
Culture -- Deaf blind.
Authors -- Deaf.
Note(s): Caption title./ Typescript of a lecture presented by Ms. Jacobowitz on Sept. 17, 1989 at a MWADB meeting at Gallaudet University.
Class Descriptors: Dewey: 305.773
Responsibility: Lynn Jacobowitz; recorder, Earlene Duncan.
Document Type: Book
Entry: 19900919
Update: 19980902
Accession No: OCLC: 22404739
Database: WorldCat
-------------------------
Web of Science gets 1 hit (back to 1945) for the search:
blind culture:
Author(s): Saeed, SR; Ramsden, RT; Axon, PR
Title: Cochlear implantation in the deaf-blind
Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OTOLOGY, 19 (6): 774-777 NOV 1998
Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to examine the outcome and rehabilitation of cochlear implantation in a select group of individuals: the deaf-blind. Study Design: The study design was a retrospective and
prospective case evaluation of the deaf-blind implantees. Setting: The study was conducted at a national adult and pediatric cochlear implant center. Patients: A total of eight adult and two pediatric blind or
visually impaired individuals undergoing cochlear implantation for severe or profound deafness participated. Evaluation of the history, etiology of blindness and deafness, and outcome of the cochlear implantation was examined. Interventions: Cochlear implantation and subsequent rehabilitation were performed. Main Outcome Measure: Bamford-Kowal-Bench (BKB) sentence scores were measured.
Results: individually and as a group, these patients respond exceptionally well to cochlear implantation. The BKB scores are above the average for the sighted cochlear implantees. This raises the question of heterosensory substitution. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation has a major role to play in the rehabilitation of certain deaf-blind individuals, and these patients may be among the most worthwhile to consider
for implantation. The implant team must acquire additional rehabilitative skills, and the strength of the deaf-blind culture must be taken into consideration.
Cited References: APLIN DY, 1993, AM ANN DEAF, V138, P415.
ARAUZ SL, 1997, AUDIOLOGY, V36, P109.
BAKER RS, 1989, COMB OT SPRING M SAN.
BALKANY T, 1996, OTOLARYNG CLIN N AM, V29, P277.
CAMPOS EC, 1985, AM J OPHTHALMOL, V99, P63.
CRAGG B, 1976, J COMP NEUROL, V168, P345.
HINDERINK JB, 1994, ANN OTO RHINOL LARYN, V103, P285.
KAWASAKI E, 1997, ADV OTO-RHINO-LARYNG, V52, P89.
LEOTTA DF, 1998, J REHABIL RES DEV, V25, P45.
MARTIN EL, 1988, EAR HEARING, V9, P70.
ODRISCOLL M, 1997, 5 INT COCHL IMPL C N.
PACEBALZAN A, 1988, J LARYNGOL OTOL, V102, P57.
SUMMERFIELD AQ, 1995, COCHLEAR IMPLANTATIO.
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http://scholar.google.com About 5 or so of 14 hits seem relevant for search: "blind culture". Possibly the cited references in a few of these sites might lead you to more.
In http://google.com , the search: "blind culture" "deaf culture" site:edu gets 9 hits; "blind culture" "deaf
culture" site:gov gets 1 hit. The search: "blind deaf culture" gets 19 hits.
Hope this gives you a start on this research - you can also try searching some of these authors on the web to see if they have their own web pages with more leads.
Thanks -
Jim Miller
U of Maryland
jmiller2 {at} umd.edu
